New (old) Woodrup
 

I ran across this Woodrup frameset at an LBS. It was my size, my price and it was too pretty to pass up. It's an '86 based on the serial number on the BB, but it looked absolutely new.

I built it up using modern 9-speed Shimano components, trying to keep the 'retro' look. It's made of 531, and the ride qualities are great. I have carbon and Ti bikes and the Woodrup is right up there with them.

I've not been able to find very much info about Woodrup. Their web-site offers nothing. If anyone can point me to more info, it would be greatly appreciated.

That's a good looking bike, definately does not look 17 years old!

Sweet bike Davet, how much trouble was it to get the 9 speed into the rear triangle between the dropouts?

None actually. The difference between 126 (old) and 130 (new) spacing is 4mm, less than a 1/4". It's easy to spring the rear triangle that much with your hands when installing the wheel.

What is it you'd like to know about Woodrup cycles? I've owned a couple and used to live in Leeds- they were my local shop!

A number of the great bespoke frame builders in England pay little more than lip service to websites; they know they have to play the game, but really they are in the frame business and everything else is a necessary evil.

Cyclists in West Yorkshire are totally spoilt for choice of builders. Imagine deciding between Ellis-Briggs, Bob Jackson, Pennine and Woodrup (amongst others)! I always had the feeling Woodrup were pretty conservative- they were club riders and road racers at heart and paid little attention to fashions....like mountain biking! I never saw a Woodrup that wasn't well finished, but they weren't flashy- no exotic angles or custom designs. If you knew the language you could get good advice from them but if you were not local or inexperienced, the customer service could be a little general and vague. Best that you knew exactly what you were after.....

Both my Woodrups were 531, but I know they were a highly skilled team and built lots of 753 stuff.

There is a chapter about the company in "The Custom Bicycle", by Michael J. Kolin and Denise M. de la Rosa (1979, Rodale Press) Quite a good reader for everyone on this board, actually.......

I won't ramble on....what specifically would you like to know, I might be able to point you in the right direction?

eric

Pretty bike!

I really like the choice of barcons as opposed to STI levers.

I'm nearly positive I've seen a Woodrup or 2 around the S. Fla area but know little of them. Sheldon Brown is part author of a Vintage Bike Price Guide site,

http://sheldonbrown.com/vrbn-a-f.html#bianchi

unfortunately it doesn't include Woodrup. Quality bike w/o a doubt.

Those bikes were very good bikes and are now classics! You lucked out to find one in such great-new shape. To bad you couldn't get the original 86 era components on it, that would have been sweet.

I almost bought one myself back in the early 80s and it had a full wrap set stay that wrapped around the seat post completely. If my memory serves me correctly those early 80's Woodrups came with Huret components-not sure what the mid 80s came with; maybe FLANUER can help us out with that bit of history.

Woodrups would put whatever stuff you specified on a frame made in their workshop. They usually had a few examples in "average" sizes hanging up on the walls....y'know, lustrous enamel, chrome fork tips, Campag headset. They tended to make a lot of custom frames to cater for our delusions of competence in the areas of sizing, fork rake and angles:) They certainly didn't go out of their way to push particular makes of components; they didn't need to- everyone who could afford it went for the best parts they could find, which for racers and wannabes, meant Campagnolo everything...except mavic rims (G4' s were the thing at the time, if I recall- G40's for those heretics starting to use clinchers!

The touring gear of the moment was the Huret Duopar, with it's then-unusual dual parallelogram action. Small chainrings were very unusual then- only for the real purists who would pay for T.A. stuff- so a rear gear had to get over enormous 'dinner plate' cogs and wrap up a whole lot of chain. I think that pretty Shimano 600 stuff was popular in the middle market but not at the margins.

Specifying parts for a new bike was more fun before the groupset took over- but matched sets worked better, which added to the dominance of Campagnolo- and latterly Shimano. I had a bike with a Mavic set around that time. It was fantastic stuff, all circlips and ball bearing jockey wheels- but soon after, the indexed systems appeared and the era of diversity was ending.

This bike is (sorrowfully) now for sale. Please see my post in the Buy-Sell-Trade forum. Thanks, Dave

undefinedundefinedundefinedundefinedI see someone has referred to your 86 Woodrup as a classic - what does that make mine ?

Built to spec in 1962 it still has the original gear - campag,mafac,ambrosio,Cinelli,Fiame,universal and Unica,

Anyone interested in this one ??

The attached photo was a TT stage (which being a climber I detested !) of a 2 day in Surrey, 1967

How much was it?

This might be of some help to you
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Bri...up/Woodrup.htm

Leigh

Hey; I'm interested in yours... What size is it?

Sorry to trouble you, also first time i've used a forum so apolgoies if not following correct etiquete etc, but i have a gold coloured Woodrup road bike with brookes leather saddle who someone recently pointed out I should look after better as it may be quite old. It appears to have a stamp on the underside with the number 4197. Do you know how i work out when this as built please?
Thanks very much

You'll probably do much better if you open a new thread, and of course we want lots of pictures. But did you check out the CR link to see if they had any serial deciphering hints? And welcome to the forum.

Edit: I see the CR link is dead. THIS should work. There is a serial number registry, and yours would appear to be maybe early 80's? The link also shows a current address & email for Woodrup. They may be of help, too.